Harris on his pride at watching overachieving Millwall and Sheffield United

NEIL Harris believes the success of Millwall and Sheffield United this season is partly down to both managers being given time to build and recruit the right type of players for the systems they want to play.

There was a clash of formations and styles at Bramall Lane on Saturday as two teams promoted last year drew 1-1 to remain in the play-off hunt, Millwall ahead of their rivals in the Championship table by three points.

Harris is now the longest-serving manager in the division after Mick McCarthy left Ipswich last week.

The Lions are on a 17-game unbeaten league run, and Harris felt the encounter with the Blades was one of the toughest they have faced in that run.

“Brentford were better than us when we played them at The Den and we were lucky to come away with a 1-0 win,” Harris said.

“But we’ve deserved to win the other games of late. Sheffield United put us under pressure, they are a really good side and it just comes from Chris having time, the same as me at Millwall, to build something, to recruit the players you want to play in the system you want to use.

“I was extremely proud standing beside Chris at Bramall Lane watching two teams that have massively overachieved this season.

“Whatever the outcome this season, whether we are both in the play-offs this season or neither, both sets of fans would be proud of what they have seen from their teams.

“You need time to build. There is short-termism in football, that’s foreign ownership, that’s social media, an impatience in fans driven by social media.

“Don’t get me wrong, you have to get it right and win games at key moments. We’ve had some of them and Chris has as well, winning games at key times.

“It goes to show that if you’re given time and enough transfer windows to get it right, and there is patience from everybody, then you can achieve.”